Hi everyone!
Well, those of you who also read my "Spain" blog (www.hannahinspain2012.wordpress.com ) know what's going on, but here's a quick summary for the rest:
I spent the month of July in Greenwood, Indiana at the One Mission Society headquarters in training for my upcoming mission to Spain. Among everyone who was there for training, the regions of origin included Wisconsin, Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, and Northern Ireland, and the regions we were headed to included Ecuador, the Republic of Ireland, Mexico, Haiti, Spain, Ukraine, and east Africa. There were four married couples (two of which had their children with them) and four singles including myself. It was great to be a part of this group and grow close to my brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world. What a powerful reminder that we are one body who answers to the God of the universe!
While I was in Greenwood, I was asked to accept a different assignment from what I had planned in Spain. I was supposed to be teaching English to adults (in an informal setting), but the field really needs me to teach ESL full-time at the Evangelical Christian Academy. This school is for children of missionaries, and I will be teaching ESL (which will include some Missionary Kids and possibly some Spain natives). I admit that I'm accepting this assignment with mixed emotions- since it was dropped in my lap, I know that only God could have arranged this. At the same time, I feel pretty unprepared to take on my own classroom in another country, and I was discouraged because I felt like I would be less "important" on the field since I wouldn't be directly evangelizing to the people of Spain.
However, I'm continually reminded that I have no reason to be discouraged- I remember feeling overwhelmed like this one year ago when I first received my Americorps assignment, and, looking back, I could not have asked for a better assignment. I had hoped to be placed in a middle or high school, but instead I was assigned to a 4-year-old-kindergarten class for Hispanic newcomers. Looking back, I am awed by how blessed I was to work with students who wanted to start and end each day by giving me a hug, or to have a supervising teacher who became a role-model and friend to me (thanks, Samantha!). I shouldn't doubt that God is able to do it all over again as I head into this next venture. In addition, He has made it clear to me that my position is one that IS needed on the field, even if it isn't what I had anticipated. Just a few nights ago during a presentation to my potential supporters, one of my churchmates spoke up and said she was the product of a MK school and she wouldn't be who she was today without the teachers that God had placed in her path.
Another hard fact for me to accept was the possibility (looking more and more imminent) that I will actually be leaving in January 2012 instead of Sept 2011. My biggest concern is that my position with Americorps is done at the end of this month, so I don't know what I will do for work until January. I HAVE applied for adjunct faculty at Northcentral Technical college and am taking a course to get my substitute teaching permit, so I'm hoping that one or both of these opportunities work out for me (just, please, no more call centers or minimum-wage jobs!!). There is still a chance that my support could come in miraculously by the end of this month, (which I am praying for!!), but, whatever happens, I'm so glad I know that God is sovereign and His plans are never a day late!!
